Ventilation system and method

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide a ventilation system comprising a housing that includes a plurality of panels. At least one socket can be defined through at least one of the panels and the socket can be coupled to an electricity source. In some embodiments, the ventilation system can include at least one illumination system that can include a socket interface, an extension member, and at least one illumination device. The socket interface can be configured to engage the socket and the extension member can be capable of moving in a plurality of directions.

BACKGROUND

A conventional outdoor ventilation system can be useful for the removalof cooking effluent arising from cooking episodes in outdoor and/orpartially enclosed spaces. At least some of the outdoor and/or partiallyenclosed spaces can include one or more cooking appliances that emitcooking effluent during a cooking episode, similar to an indoor cookingconfiguration. For example, some of these outdoor cooking configurationscan include a permanent roof structure, with at least some uncoveredand/or screened perimeter supports, such as walls. As a result, withoutan outdoor ventilation system, cooking effluent will accumulate withinthe local environment.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention provide a ventilation system that caninclude a housing comprising a plurality of panels. In some embodiments,at least one socket can be defined through at least one of the pluralityof panels and the at least one socket can be capable of being coupled toan electricity source. In some embodiments, the ventilation system cancomprise at least one illumination system. In some embodiments, theillumination system can include a socket interface, an extension member,and at least one illumination device. In some embodiments, the socketinterface can be configured and arranged to engage the socket. In someembodiments, the extension member the extension member can be capable ofmoving in a plurality of directions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ventilation system according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a ventilation system and disposed in acooking environment according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a side view of a ventilation system and disposed in a cookingenvironment according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a ventilation system according to someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3B is a bottom view of a ventilation system according to someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an illumination system according to someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a conventional illumination device.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views of an illumination system according to someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a conventional illumination system.

FIG. 8 a front view of a conventional illumination system.

FIG. 9 is a side view of three conventional illumination systems.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a ventilation system according tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a ventilation system according tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of a ventilation system accordingto some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a conventional ventilation system and grille.

FIG. 14A is a shadowgraph of a representation of a conventionalventilation system.

FIG. 14B is a shadowgraph of a ventilation system according to someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a ventilation system according tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of a ventilation system accordingto some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of a ventilation system according tosome embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17B is a bottom perspective view of a ventilation system accordingto some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 18a perspective view of a ventilation system according to oneembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope ofembodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize theexamples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall withinthe scope of embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a ventilation system 10 according to one embodimentof the invention. The ventilation system 10 can include a housing 12, aventilation assembly 14, and an illumination system 16. In someembodiments, the housing 12 can comprise one or more panels 18 that canbe configured and arranged to support at least some of the elements ofthe ventilation system 10. In some embodiments, the ventilation system10 can be installed substantially adjacent to a cook top, range oven,grille, or other surface on which a cooking episode could occur.

By way of example only, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, in someembodiments, the ventilation system 10 can be employed in an indoorand/or outdoor cooking environment. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1,2A, and 2B, the ventilation system can be installed in an outdoorkitchen. In some embodiments, an outdoor kitchen can be configuredsubstantially similar to an indoor kitchen so that it includes anoverhead structure (e.g., a roof), one or more walls or other supportstructures, and one or more cooking surfaces (e.g., a grille 20). Insome embodiments, although configured as an outdoor kitchen, cookingeffluent produced by the grille 20 or other cooking surface can lingerand/or not be sufficiently evacuated, leading to an unpleasant and/or anunhealthy outdoor kitchen environment. In some embodiments, theventilation system 10 can be used in conjunction with other surfacesthat are capable of producing cooking effluent or any other surfacecapable of producing polluted fluids that a user may wish to exhaust. Insome embodiments, the ventilation system 10 can be employed in indoorkitchens or other areas of homes, business, or any other area whereventilation of polluted fluids is desired. Moreover, although examplesand discussion herein involve discussions of outdoor kitchenenvironments, these discussions are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the housing 12 can be coupledto a support structure, such as a wall. For example, in someembodiments, the housing 12 can be positioned substantially adjacent toa grille 20 or other cooking apparatus (e.g., above the grille 20). Insome embodiments, a rear portion of the housing 12 can be coupled to thestructure via conventional fasteners, adhesives, or other suitablecoupling methods so that the housing 12 is adequately supported adjacentto the grille 20. As shown in FIG. 1 and discussed in greater detailbelow, in some embodiments, an extension 22 can be coupled to a rearportion of the housing 12. Moreover, in some embodiments, the extension22 can be coupled to the wall or support structure and, because theextension 22 is coupled to the housing 12, the extension 22 can supportthe housing 12 and ventilation system 10.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the ventilation system 10 can beelectrically coupled to an electricity source (e.g., a battery, thestructure's electrical network, or any other electricity source) so thatone or more elements of the ventilation system 10 can receiveelectricity for operations. Moreover, in some embodiments, as describedin further detail below, the ventilation system 10 can be coupled to oneor more ducts 24 so that at least a portion of the effluent or otherfluid received from the grille 22 can be transported, via the duct 24,outside of the local area (e.g., outside of the outdoor kitchen).

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the housing 12 can comprise atleast one inlet 26. For example, in some embodiments, a lower area ofthe housing 12 can include the inlet 26 so that the inlet 26 issubstantially adjacent to the grille 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing12 can comprise at least two side panels 18 a that can define at least aportion of the inlet 26. In some embodiments, other portions of thehousing 12 can define other portions of the inlet 26. Moreover, in someembodiments, the inlet 26 can comprise a plurality of inlets 26 definedthrough some portions of the housing 12.

In some embodiments, one or more electrical sockets 28 can be at leastpartially coupled to and/or supported by the housing 12, as shown inFIG. 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 3-5, in some embodiments, theelectrical sockets 28 can be positioned substantially adjacent to theinlet 26 through one or more of the side panels 18 a. In someembodiments, the electrical sockets 28 can be electrically coupled tothe structure's electricity source so that one or more elements coupledto the electrical sockets 28 can receive power for operations. Forexample, in some embodiments, the electrical sockets 28 can comprise asubstantially conventional configuration for receiving one or moreillumination devices (e.g., a GU10 configuration) for illuminating asurface (e.g., the grille 20) below the ventilation system 10. In someembodiments, the electrical sockets 28 can be configured to receive oneor more substantially conventional illumination devices (e.g., GU10bulbs, as shown in FIG. 5).

In some embodiments, the electrical sockets 28 can be configured andarranged to receive one or more of the illumination systems 16. In someembodiments, the ventilation system 10 can comprise a plurality ofillumination systems 16. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, theventilation system 10 can comprise at least two illumination systems 16disposed on opposing sides of the inlet 26. Moreover, in someembodiments, the ventilation system 10 can comprise electrical sockets28 disposed through other portions of the housing 12, such as adjacentto a front portion of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. 3B. In someembodiments, the illumination systems 16 can each comprise a socketinterface 30, an extension member 32, and at least one illuminationdevice 34. In some embodiments, the illumination systems 16 can comprisea flexible material that can insulate at least a portion of the thermalenergy produced by the illumination systems 16 (e.g., flexible siliconeor other suitable materials)

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the socket interface 30 can comprise aconfiguration substantially similar to a conventional illuminationdevice for interfacing with the electrical sockets 28. For example, insome embodiments, the socket interface 30 can be configured to engageand/or be coupled to the electrical socket 28 in addition to or in lieuof a conventional illumination device. Moreover, in some embodiments,the socket interface 30 can be configured to engage any electricalsocket 28 comprising a conventional configuration. For example, in someembodiments, the socket interface 30 can comprise a configurationsimilar to that of an interface of a GU10 bulb that mediates electricitytransfer from the electrical socket 28 to the bulb. As a result, theillumination systems 16 can be employed in ventilation systems 10 thatcomprise similarly configured electrical sockets 28 (e.g., theillumination systems 16 can be retrofitted to existing ventilationsystems 10).

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6A, and 6B, in some embodiments, the extensionmember 32 can be coupled to the socket interface 30. The extensionmember 32 can comprise one or more wires or other conductive members(not shown) that can function to relay current from the electricalsockets 28 and the socket interfaces 30 to the illumination devices 34.Moreover, in some embodiments, the extension members 32 can comprise aflexible configuration. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B,the extension member 32 can be configured and arranged to move in aplurality of directions. As shown in FIGS. 4, 6A, and 6B, theillumination device 34 can be coupled to an end of the extension member32 opposing the socket interface 30. In some embodiments, theillumination device 34 can comprise at least one of incandescent,fluorescent, compact fluorescent, halogen, and other lights and lamps.Further, these illumination devices can be flood lights, globe lights,light-emitting diodes, or other similar illumination devices 34,including a combination of any of the above. In some embodiments, a usercan move the extension member 34 in any direction to direct illuminationfrom the illumination device 34 in any direction required by the user.Moreover, the illumination provided by the illumination systems 16(i.e., via the illumination devices 34) can be controlled using aconventional control panel (not shown) that is configured to control oneor more illumination devices 34 that are coupled to the electricalsockets 28. For example, a user can activate the illumination systems 16to provide illumination or change intensities of the illumination usingthe control panel.

In some embodiments, the illumination systems 16 can provide benefitscompared to the conventional lighting systems of grilles 20 and othercooking surfaces. Although conventional illumination devices can beneeded to provide the user of a grille 20 or other cooking surface withadequate illumination to view the food being cooked, these conventionalillumination devices and systems have several shortcomings. For example,as shown in FIG. 7, some conventional grilles 20 can comprise their ownconventional illumination devices. However, because the conventionalillumination devices can be coupled to the grille 20 and disposedsubstantially adjacent to the cooking surface of the grille 20,significant amounts of cooking effluent and other pollutants can attachto a surface of the conventional illumination devices, which can reducethe amount of illumination provided to the cooking surface and possiblycreate a safety hazard. As a result, to maintain safety and necessaryamounts of illumination, the conventional illumination devices canrequire frequent cleaning by the user. The illumination systems 16 ofthe ventilation system 10 provide improvements over this conventionalconfiguration. For example, because the illumination systems 16 aredisposed on the ventilation system 10 and not directly coupled to thegrille 20 (i.e., not immediately adjacent to the cooking surface), theamount of cooking effluent directed toward and contacting theillumination devices 34 is reduced relative to the conventionalconfiguration.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, some other conventional lighting systemscan also include shortcomings. For example, some lighting systems cancomprise battery-operated clip-on style lighting accessories that can becoupled to the grille 20 or adjacent surface to provide illumination.Generally, these conventional clip-on style lighting systems providelow-intensity illumination that can be insufficient for properlyilluminating the cooking surface. In some embodiments, the ventilationsystem 10 can provide improvements over this conventional configuration.For example, because the illumination systems 16 can be directly coupledto the electrical network of the structure, the user does not need toreplace any batteries. Moreover, because conventional illuminationdevices 34 can be used with the illumination systems 16, a sufficientamount of illumination can reach the cooking surface and theshortcomings associated with the low-intensity lighting systems can beavoided.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, some conventional ventilation systemscan be configured so that some portions of the grille 20 can obscure,block, or otherwise prevent the transmission of illumination to thecooking surface. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a grille cover 36,when opened, can block at least a portion of the illumination providedby conventional illumination devices installed in the conventionalventilation system. As a result, little to no illumination can reach thecooking surface of the grille 20. In some embodiments, the ventilationsystem 10 can provide improvements over this conventional configuration.For example, because of the flexibility of movement and capability ofmoving in a plurality of different directions, the illumination devices34 can be positioned in any one of multiple positions so that a grillecover 36 is not able to obscure or block material amounts ofillumination from reaching the cooking surface.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, in some embodiments, the housing 12 cancomprise one or more pockets 38 that are configured and arranged toreceive at least a portion of the illumination systems 16. In someembodiments, the pockets 38 can be configured and arranged to receive atleast a portion of the illumination devices 34 coupled to the extensionmembers 34. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the illuminationsystems 16 are not in use or needed by the user, the configuration of atleast some of the extension members 34 can be changed from asubstantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position.As a result, the illumination systems 16 can be stored for future useand the space between the ventilation system 10 and the grille 20 can befree from the illumination systems 16 extending in a generally downwarddirection.

In some embodiments, the ventilation assembly 14 can be at leastpartially positioned within and/or supported by the housing 12. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 10-12, the ventilation assembly 14 can bepositioned within the housing 12 and in fluid communication with theinlet 26. As shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the ventilationassembly 14 can comprise a blower assembly 40 that can be positionedwithin the housing 12 and capable of generating a fluid flow from thecooking surface through the inlet 26 and the ventilation assembly 14 andout of the ventilation system 10 via the duct 24. Moreover, as shown inFIG. 12, the ventilation assembly 14 can comprise one or more capturesurfaces 42 that can be positioned between the blower assembly 40 andthe inlet 26. In some embodiments, the ventilation assembly 14 cancomprise one or more filters 44 immediately adjacent to the capturesurface 42 so that at least a portion of the pollutants (e.g., cookingeffluent, such as grease) can be removed from the air and other fluidsoriginating from the cooking surface. Moreover, in some embodiments, thecapture surface 42 can comprise a non-planar configuration or ridgedconfiguration, as shown in FIGS. 16, 17A, and 17B, which can at leastpartially increase a surface area of the capture surface 42 to improveeffluent capture.

In some embodiments, the ventilation assembly 14 can provide benefitsrelative to some conventional ventilation systems. Some conventionalventilation systems offer inadequate levels of fluid flow through thesystem and, accordingly, an inadequate effluent capture rate. Some ofthese drawbacks to conventional ventilation systems occur because of thesize and positioning of the capture surface 42 and other elements of theventilation assembly 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the capturearea of some conventional ventilation systems can be at least partiallyobscured when the grille cover 36 is in the open position (e.g., thegrille cover 36 can direct at least a portion of the cooking effluent toa position that is too far forward for the conventional ventilationsystem to capture). In some embodiments, the ventilation system 10 canprovide improvements over this conventional configuration. For example,the ventilation system 10 comprises a capture surface 42 that comprisesa greater surface area relative to conventional ventilation systems.Moreover, the inlet 26 and the capture surfaces 42 can extend to a moreforward position relative to the overall depth of the housing 12,relative to conventional ventilation systems, which can lead to greatereffluent capture.

As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, these improvements relative toconventional ventilation systems can result in improved thermal andeffluent capture. For example, as shown in the shadowgraph of FIG. 14A,a significant portion of the cooking effluent can escape capture by aconventional ventilation system when the grille cover 36 is open.However, as shown in FIG. 14B, the positioning and the configuration ofthe ventilation system 10 and ventilation assembly 14 can lead togreater amounts of effluent being captured relative to the conventionalsystem.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the extension 22 can be configured andarranged to further improve effluent and thermal capture. For example,as previously mentioned and as shown in FIGS. 10 and 15, the extension22 can be coupled to a rear portion of the housing 12 and can theextension 22 can then be coupled to a wall or structure to support theventilation system 10. By way of example only, in some embodiments, theextension 22 can comprise a depth of about three inches so that thecomponents of the ventilation system 10 are moved about three inchesfurther from the wall, relative to embodiments without an extension 22.As a result, the ventilation assembly 14 can be positioned more forwardso that more effluent can be captured because an even greater portion ofthe inlet 26 and the capture surface 42 can be exposed to the cookingeffluent when the grille cover 36 is opened. In other embodiments, theextension 22 can comprise other sizes (e.g., greater or less than aboutthree inches) and dimensions to meet user needs.

In some embodiments, the ventilation system 10 can comprise a secondaryventilation assembly 46, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, in someembodiments, a grille 20 can output a great enough quantity of cookingeffluent that the primary ventilation assembly 14 (i.e., the ventilationassembly 14 previously mentioned) can become at least partiallyoverwhelmed and unable to remove all of the effluent from the outdoorkitchen area. In some embodiments, the secondary ventilation assembly 46can be configured to operate in addition to or in lieu of the primaryventilation assembly 14 (e.g., to remove cooking effluent or otherpollutants from the local environment). For example, as shown in FIG. 1,in some embodiments, the secondary ventilation assembly 46 can be atleast partially disposed within, coupled to, and/or supported by theroof of the outdoor kitchen. In some embodiments, the secondaryventilation assembly 46 can be in fluid communication with a duct 24(e.g., the same duct 24 that is in fluid communication with the primaryventilation assembly 14 or a different duct 24) so that at least aportion of the effluent exhausted from the cooking surface can bedirected to a remote location (e.g., outside of the local area).

In some embodiments, the secondary ventilation assembly 46 can be incommunication (e.g., wired, as shown in FIG. 1, or wireless) with theprimary ventilation assembly 14 to control operations of the secondaryventilation assembly 46 (e.g., the secondary ventilation assembly 46 canbe activated when the primary ventilation assembly 14 is activated). Insome embodiments, the primary and secondary ventilation assemblies 14,46 can share one or more blower assemblies 40 so that airflow from theblower assembly 40 can be used to exhaust effluent through bothassemblies 14, 46.

Moreover, in some embodiments, the secondary ventilation assembly 46 cancomprise one or more sensors (e.g., thermal sensors, particulatesensors, infrared sensors, etc.) that can automatically activate thesecondary ventilation assembly 46 during an occurrence of a cookingepisode. In some embodiments, the secondary ventilation assembly 46 canbe manually controlled via one or more switches on the control panel orremotely positioned on a wall in the outdoor kitchen.

As shown in FIG. 18, in some embodiments, the secondary ventilationassembly 46 can comprise other configurations. As shown in FIG. 18, inlieu of or in addition to a secondary ventilation assembly 46 beingcoupled to or supported by the roof of the kitchen, one or moresecondary ventilation assemblies 46 can be disposed or supported by awall of the kitchen. For example, the ventilation system 10 can comprisetwo secondary ventilation assemblies 46 that can resemble and/orfunction as duct covers. In some embodiments, the blower assembly 40 cangenerate air flow through both the primary ventilation assembly 14 andthe secondary ventilation assemblies 46 to remove cooking effluent. Aspreviously mentioned, in some embodiments, the secondary ventilationassemblies 46 can operate independently of the primary ventilationassembly 14.

As previously mentioned, the primary and/or secondary ventilationassemblies 14, 46 can be configured to aid in removal of cookingeffluent from the local environment that arises from a cooking episode.In some conventional ventilation systems, after removal of a portion ofthe effluent from polluted air or other fluids, the removed effluent canaccumulate within the filters 44 and eventually lead to clogging of thefilters 44 and overflow effluent draining downward toward the grille 20.For example, some conventional ventilation systems can comprise effluentcollection systems (e.g., baffle filters, mesh filters, centrifugalgrease wheels, etc) that can be configured to retain grease and othereffluent as it passes through the system. These conventional effluentcollection systems can become quickly overwhelmed, which can lead to anaccumulation of grease and other effluent that can overflow out of thecollection system.

In some embodiments, the extension 22 can be configured and arranged toimprove effluent clearance through the ventilation assembly 10, relativeto the conventional effluent collection systems. In some embodiments,the extension 22 can comprise at least one reservoir 49 that is at leastpartially movably positioned within the extension 22. For example, asshown in FIGS. 16-17B, the reservoir 49 can be positioned in a generallylower portion of the ventilation system 10 so that at least a portioneffluent collected by the ventilation assembly 14 can be directed towardthe reservoir 49 via gravity. Further, in some embodiments, theventilation assembly 14 can comprise one or more rails 47 coupled to anouter portion of the capture surface 42. As reflected by the arrows inFIGS. 16 and 17A, in some embodiments, the ventilation assembly 14 canbe configured so that effluent (e.g., grease) removed from the localenvironment can be guided toward the reservoir 49. For example, therails 47, filters 44, and/or other portions of the ventilation assembly14 can be positioned within the housing 12 at an angle so that at leasta portion of the effluent removed from the local environment is directedtoward the reservoir 49 via gravity. In some embodiments, the housing 12can comprise the reservoir 49 so that the ventilation system 10 canoperate without the extension 22.

In some embodiments, the reservoir 49 can be configured for the ease ofthe user. For example, the reservoir 49 can comprise a volume sufficientto receive a significant volume of effluent so that the user does nothave to frequently empty the reservoir 49. In some embodiments, thereservoir 49 can comprise one or more handles 48 or other features thatcan enable a user to readily remove the reservoir 49 from the extension22, as shown in FIG. 17B. As a result, the reservoir 49 can be removedand taken to a remote location for removal of accumulated effluent andcleaning. Moreover, in some embodiments, in order to improve movement ofthe effluent and the cleaning process, portions of the ventilationassembly 14, the extension 22, and/or the reservoir 49 can comprisesurfaces that are at least partially coated in a non-stick material(e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene).

Additionally, in some embodiments, the ventilation system 10 cancomprise one or more indicator members (not shown). In some embodiments,the indicator member can be configured and arranged to provide a signal(e.g., visual, audio, or other suitable signal) to the user thereservoir 49 is in need of being emptied and/or cleaned. In someembodiments, the indicator member can comprise a mechanicalconfiguration, an electrical configuration, an electro-mechanicalconfiguration, an aperture through a portion of the ventilation system10 through which a user can visualize the effluent levels within thereservoir 49, a timer, or any other suitable configuration.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while theinvention has been described above in connection with particularembodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited,and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications anddepartures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to beencompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of eachpatent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as ifeach such patent or publication were individually incorporated byreference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention areset forth in the following claims.

1. A ventilation system comprising: a housing comprising a plurality ofpanels; a ventilation assembly at least partially supported by thehousing, the ventilation assembly being configured to generate a flow ofair; at least one socket defined through at least one of the pluralityof panels, the at least one socket capable of being coupled to anelectricity source; and at least one illumination system comprising asocket interface, an extension member, and at least one illuminationdevice, the socket interface being configured and arranged to engage theat least one socket, and the extension member being capable of moving ina plurality of directions.
 2. The ventilation system of claim 1, whereinthe housing comprises at least one pocket configured to receive at leasta portion of the illumination system.
 3. The ventilation system of claim1, wherein the extension member comprises flexible silicone.
 4. Theventilation system of claim 1, wherein the illumination device comprisesa light-emitting diode.
 5. The ventilation system of claim 1, whereinthe illumination device comprises a halogen bulb.
 6. The ventilationsystem of claim 1 and further comprising an extension coupled to thehousing.
 7. The ventilation system of claim 6 and further comprising areservoir being movably positioned at least partially within theextension.
 8. The ventilation system of claim 1 and further comprising aplurality of sockets and a plurality of illumination systems.
 9. Aventilation system comprising: a housing comprising a plurality ofpanels; at least one extension coupled to the housing, the extensioncapable of being coupled to a structure; a reservoir capable of beingpositioned within a least one of the extension and the housing; and aventilation assembly comprising at least one filter being in fluidcommunication with the reservoir, and the filter being configured andarranged to guide at least a portion of a substance into the reservoir.10. The ventilation system of claim 9 and further comprising at leastone handle being coupled to the reservoir.
 11. The ventilation system ofclaim 9, wherein the ventilation assembly comprises at least one blowerassembly capable of generating a fluid flow through at least someportions of the ventilation assembly.
 12. The ventilation system ofclaim 9, wherein the substance comprises cooking effluent.
 13. Theventilation system of claim 12, wherein the cooking effluent comprisesgrease.
 14. The ventilation system of claim 9 and further comprising anindicator member configured to provide notice to a user when thereservoir needs to be emptied.
 15. The ventilation system of claim 14,wherein the indicator member comprises at least one of a mechanicalsensor, an electrical sensor, and electro-mechanical sensor, a timer,and a window member disposed through at least one of the extension andthe housing.
 16. The ventilation system of claim 9 and furthercomprising at least one socket defined through at least one of theplurality of panels, the at least one socket capable of being coupled toan electricity source, and at least one illumination system comprising asocket interface, an extension member, and at least one illuminationdevice, the socket interface being configured and arranged to engage theat least one socket, and the extension member capable of moving in aplurality of directions.
 17. The ventilation system of claim 16, whereinthe illumination device comprises one of a light-emitting diode and ahalogen bulb.
 18. A ventilation system comprising: a housing comprisinga plurality of panels; at least one extension coupled to the housing,the extension capable of being coupled to a structure, the extensioncomprising a reservoir being movably positioned at least partiallywithin the extension; a first ventilation assembly comprising at leastone filter being in fluid communication with the reservoir, and thefirst ventilation assembly capable of removing at least a portion ofcooking effluent produced by a cooking episode; and a second ventilationassembly capable of being positioned to receive at least a portion ofthe cooking effluent that is not removed by the first ventilationassembly.
 19. The ventilation system of claim 18 and further comprisingat least one illumination system being coupled to the housing, theillumination system comprising a socket interface, an extension member,and at least one illumination device, and the extension member beingcapable of moving in a plurality of directions.
 20. The ventilationsystem of claim 19, wherein the extension member comprises a flexiblesilicone.